A lang-held chapter o a mirk past nears its close as a mort-heid, held in Aiberdeen syne the mid-1800s, will suin return tae Tasmania. The remains come fae a young lad liftit fae his land lang syne. On 21 Mairch, a ceremony will be held tae lay the remains tae rest in a traditional ceremony led by Aboriginal fowk.

In 2019, the University o Aiberdeen raxed oot tae the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre anent the repatriation. This led tae a proposal tae return the remains. In 2020, the University’s rulin body gied its fu approval. Noo the Centre is set tae tak the remains back tae Tasmania.

The mort-heid is pairt o a trove o items aince awned by William MacGillivray, a professor at Marischal College. Efter he deed in 1852, the University bocht his collection. A sale leet described the item as “Native o Van Diemen’s Land, wha wis shot on the Shannon River.” Nae record is kept on hoo the mort-heid wis taen. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre claims, “there can be nae doot that this heid wis removed fae the lad shot at the Shannon River in order tae service (the) trade in Aboriginal body pairts. The decapitation wis maist likely performed by ane o the killers, stock-keepers, property awners or lessees involved in or associated wi the man’s murther.” Officials believe this act micht hae haed its ruits in the 1820s or 1830s. The young lad belangt tae the ‘Big River’ tribe—a fowk entirely wiped oot wi nae direct kin left.

Efter its purchase by the University, the mort-heid gaed intae the Comparative Anatomy collection. In the early 2000s, it wis muivit tae the Human Culture collection. It wis aince yaised in medical lessons in the 19th an early 20th centuries. The-day, nae lairnin or study centres on this item.

Andry Sculthorpe o the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre said, “Aboriginal fowk feel the enormous responsibility o restorin tae oor ain kintra baith the physical remains, an throu them, the spirits o oor ancestral deid. This is a record o racist attitudes tae the study o humanity, includin human remains acquired by grave robbin an ither immoral activity; in this case, murther. We applaud the institutions that hae the courage tae lat gang o their perceptions o intellectual supremacy, embrace their ain humanity an dae whit is richt by the fowk that are maist impacted by the atrocities they hae inflicted in the past. This young man’s murther winnae be forgotten an we will bring him hame tae rest at last.”

Neil Curtis, Heid o University Collections at the University o Aiberdeen, said, “Gien the violence an racism that led tae their acquisition, it wad be unacceptable for these ancestral remains tae be yaised for research, lairnin or exhibitions purposes. We are pleased that the remains o this young lad can the-day be haunded ower tae the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for appropriate burial in his hame land.”

The University o Aiberdeen follaes a set peth whan it comes tae returnin ancestral remains. It walcomes proposals tae return ancestral relics an sacred items tae the communities fae whit they wur taen. A review o its collections is unnerwey tae merk items that wur looted or unethically acquired. This effort comes on the heels o the return o a Benin Bronze in 2021, the first sic move in the warld by a museum.

At last, staps are bein taen tae mend a lang-syne wrang an bring a lost saul hame.